Small Town Love Story
by SunFlowerViolinist
Summary: The story of Rory and Jess. He didn't run off to California. Instead Rory dropped a bombshell that will change things forever. Starts off a year after their first Thanksgivng together.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is a Jess and Rory story that takes place a year after the Deep-Fired Turkey Thanksgiving. Jess didn't leave for California. Rory stopped him before he had a chance and dropped some huge news. This is just a short and simple preface. So, review and let me know what you think. **

** ~ SunFlower**

"Do you realize that this is going to be our second Thanksgiving?" Rory asked Jess as she sat down at the table closest to the door as Jess brought her over a cup.

"Yes believe it or not I do. And I am sure it will be a great day as long as Sid and Nancy don't change our plans." He said as he leaned down to kiss her check and placed his hand on her very pregnant belly before sitting down across from her.

"You do realize I have no intention of letting you and my mother actually name them that." She said as she looked at her cup. "Water?" She asked.

"You're eight months pregnant so yes you're getting water." He said as he looked at her. She just gave him a sad face.

"Next year is going to be our first Thanksgiving as a married couple." He said as he looked at the engagement ring he put on her finger the day after she dropped the news that she was expecting.

"And our first Thanksgiving as parents." She added with a smile.

"So how many dinners do we have to go to this year?" He asked.

"Well, there is the Kim's, and Sookie's, and Luke's, and my Grandparents', and then your mom invited us over there." She said as she sipped her water.

"No, no Rory I told you not to answer the phone for her." He said as he looked at her.

"Jess I have her grandkids in me, I can't refuse her from one Thanksgiving." She said as she started to get up, but then sat right back down.

"What's wrong?" He asked her.

"One of our children has decided to turn." She said as she looked at him.

"If they are this bad now, just imagine their teenage years." He said with a laugh as he got up and went back to work.

"Hey I will see you later tonight right?" She asked him.

"Of course, you know where to find me." He said before she got up.

"Rory you're leaving already?" Luke asked as he came from the back.

"Yeah, this was my resting point on the way to the drug store." She said as her face turned red.

"Here you sit down and I will run to the drug store for you. What do you need?" He asked.

"My vitamins." She answered.

"I assume they aren't Flintstones." He said with a laugh. She just shook her head. "Jess, go to the drug store with her." He said as he looked at his nephew.

"I have tables." Jess said as he looked at Luke.

"I will cover them." Luke replied.

"Okay come on." Jess said as he took her hand.

"I think he thinks if I sneeze to hard these two are going to just pop out." She said with a laugh.

"Well, the doctor did say any day now." He said as he looked at her.

"Not you too." She said with a laugh.

"I am just looking out for Sid and Nancy." He said with a laugh. She just rolled her eyes at them as they slowly made their way down the street.

"A lot has changed from last year." She said as she looked at him.

"Yeah, but I still love you." He said as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Even if you waddle." He whispered.


	2. Chapter 2

"This is not how I expected my Thanksgiving to be." Jess said as he lifted up the hood of his car which was stalled out on the side of the road. He just looked over at Rory's father who was leaning up against the side of the car. This was supposed to be a simple trip to the grocery store and then back to the Gilmore's in no time.

"Right and I wanted to spend my Thanksgiving stuck on the side of the road with the hoodlum who knocked up my little girl." Chris said as he looked at Jess.

"Right, let's act like we care about Rory now. You haven't wanted anything to do with her the whole time we have been together. She had to leave you a fucking voicemail to tell you she was pregnant! But, by all means you are father of the year!" He said as he looked at the older man.

"I have always been there for Rory." He mumbled.

"Right. So I am sure she asked you to walk her down the aisle." Jess said knowing the answer was no. Rory was debating on whether to ask Richard or Luke. She was leaning towards Luke.

"You're getting married?" Chris asked him.

"But, you have always been there for Rory. We got engaged as soon as she told me about the babies." He replied as his cell phone started to ring. It was Luke. "Luke good thing you called I need some help." He said as he answered the phone.

_"Jess where are you Lorelai asked me to call you. Rory's water broke they are taking her to the hospital." _Luke said on the other line.

"I need you to pick us up. Main Street Hartford." He replied before hanging up. He just kicked the car. "This is all your fault." He said as he looked at Chris.

* * *

Lorelai just looked at her daughter who was wincing in pain as she moved around in her hospital bed. "Where the hell is Jess?" Rory asked as she looked up at her mother.

"I don't know sweetie." Lorelai said as she took her daughter's hand. "But Jess is one of the good ones; he will make it here if he has to run the whole way." Rory just nodded at her words. "I am going to get you some ice." Lorelai said before she walked out to the hallway where her mother and father were waiting.

"How is she?" Richard asked as he looked at her.

"Well she is just peachy after all it is so freaking easy to push watermelons out of you." Lorelai said as she looked at her father. "Where the hell are Jess and Chris?" She asked them. "I swear if Chris fucks everything up I am going to toss him out the first damn window I see."

"Let's get you some coffee." Richard said as he wrapped an arm around his daughter.

"I have to get Rory ice." She said.

"You two go I will get it." Emily said as she looked at them. She was determined not to lose Rory like she did Lorelai. Lorelai just looked at her for a moment.

"Okay." She said as she walked with her father.

* * *

Jess darted ahead of Luke and Chris as soon as they made it to the hospital. "Can you tell me where Rory Gilmore is?" He asked the nurse who was working the information desk. She just held up a finger at him. He felt like he was going to go over the desk at this bitch. His Rory was about to have their babies and she tells him to wait.

"Jess!" He turned around to see Lorelai form behind him. "She is this way." She said as she led him down the hallway. She led him all the way to the door of the room and just watched as he walked in.

"Jess." Rory said as she looked at him. A smile came over her face. "I was starting to think you weren't going to come."

"Too bad you stuck with me." He said as he pulled a chair from across the room to sit by her side. "Why were you all alone?" He asked her.

"I kicked grandma out." Rory said quietly.

"I want to hear the story behind that later." He said as he took her hand.

* * *

Lorelai, Luke, Emily, Richard, and Chris sat down at a table in the cafeteria. "You know this is far from what I thought my Thanksgiving dinner would be." Chris said as he looked down at the bowl of soup that he purchased moments before.

"Well, maybe you should have stayed back with Sherry and Gigi." Lorelai said as she looked at him.

"What is this beat up on Chris day?" He asked her.

"You knocked up Sherry and that's all that you could think about. You didn't even come when we needed you. Your daughter called you in tears and you didn't even answer. What happened to Rory means everything? Where did you forget that?" Lorelai asked him.

"I am not going to fight with you Lore." He replied.

"Fine. Luke how is the apartment coming along?" Lorelai asked knowing that he was going to let the kids stay there after this.

"Good. I have Liz and TJ setting up all the baby stuff with some of the reinforcements they gathered from around town." Luke replied. "All my junk has been moved to the new place so."

"If you need help after we leave here, Emily and I can help some." Richard said as he looked at Luke.

"Dad you don't have to." Lorelai said softly.

"We want to." Her father replied. "We messed up with you and we will not let happen this time."

* * *

Jess smiled up at the clock on the wall which read 11:45. "They just had to be Thanksgiving babies." He whispered to Rory who was holding a baby in each arm.

"Drama queens just like their grandmother." She said softly as she looked up at him. "You can hold one now." He had been waiting for the okay since she yelled at the nurse for handing him one before she got to hold them. "They are so perfect." Rory said as she kept an eye on each of her little girls.

"That they are." Jess said as he sat down next to her with one of the babies in his arms.

"So what's their names?" She asked him. Months before they had made an agreement that if they have a boy Rory got to name him, but if they had a girl Jess did. That was before they even knew they were having twins, but Rory was keeping to her word. "You did come up with names right?" She asked him.

"Of course." He said as he smiled at her. "This little girl is Sidney Ayn Mariano." He said as he looked at the baby in his arms. "And her sister is Sonny Olivia Mariano." Rory just smiled at him. "Did I do a good job?" He asked.

"Yeah." She said as she smiled up at him. "We probably let them come in." Rory said as she heard her mother's loud voice coming from the hallway.

"Probably I don't know if Lorelai can hold out any longer." He said with a smile.

"Bring her and Luke in first." Rory said as she looked at him. He just nodded as he walked over to the door.

"Lorelai, Luke come on in." He said as he looked out at the crowd that was forming in the hallway. Lorelai busted her way into the room as Luke just followed behind her.

"Look how pretty my grandbabies are." Lorelai said as she looked at the babies.

"Come here mom." Rory said to her mother. Lorelai did as her daughter said as Jes moved closer to Luke. "Here you want to hold her?" Rory asked.

"It's a girl." Lorelai said as she took the baby from her. Rory nodded. "Both of them."

"Sonny Olivia meet your grandma." Rory said softly as she looked at the baby in her mother's arm.

"Sonny is such a pretty name." Lorelai said as she looked at Jess who handed Luke the other baby.

"And this is Sidney Ayn." Jess said as he looked at the baby in Luke's arms. Lorelai just moved over to look to look at the other baby.

"I haven't held a baby since Jess was born." Luke said as he looked at Lorelai.

"You're doing a good job." Lorelai said with a laugh.

* * *

Rory stood outside the nursery window looking at her little babies sitting in the front row. She had sent Jess home for sleep hours ago with the rest of the nutcase chew. "They are pretty." She heard a voice say from behind her. She turned around to see her father standing there.

"They are perfect." She said as she looked back at the babies who were sound asleep wrapped up perfectly in their little pink blankets.

"It's hard to believe that nineteen years ago I was standing here looking at you and now I am looking at my granddaughters." He said as he looked at her. "What are their names?"

"Sidney and Sonny." Rory replied.

"I messed up big time didn't I?" Chris asked as he looked through the window.

"Yeah." Rory said as she looked at her father. "But, maybe for their sake we can work something out." She said softly. "Just move on from this."

"That would be nice." He said softly. "So I hear you are getting married."


	3. Chapter 3

Jess couldn't help, but smile as he looked back at Rory sitting in the backseat in between to car seats. "How are my girls doing back there?" He asked as he drove past the Welcome to Stars Hollow sign.

"Sound asleep." Rory said as she looked at him. She was confused he could tell as he pulled up outside of Luke's. He just turned around and dropped a key in her hand.

"Welcome home." He said as he smiled at her. "You can thank Luke for this." He said before getting out of the car. He grabbed Sidney's car seat first before walking to the other side of the car and getting Sonny.

"I can get one of them." Rory said as she got out of the car.

"No it's the father's job to walk his children in the house for the first time." He replied as he looked at her. Luke came out of the diner and held the door open for them. Lorelai was standing in the middle of the room flashing pictures like crazy as the diners watched in awe.

"Let's move this party upstairs before your mother blinds one of the customers." Luke said once they were inside. "Caesar watch the diner!" He called as Rory took one of the car seats away from Jess. Rory was shocked to see how in the place of Jess's old bed now sat two cribs and all the other baby stuff they had worked so hard to buy. Lorelai just kept flashing pictures as Rory sat down the car seat and went to hug Luke as tears flowed down her face.

"Thank you so much." She said softly.

"Well it wouldn't be right for you two having to keep running the girls across town." Luke said as he looked at her.

Jess rolled over and looked at the clock. It was the first of the many nights that he would be up at three a.m. because of the one of the babies, he was sure of that. "Sorry." Rory said as he walked across the room where she was walking Sonny around the room. "I thought I had it under control and then Sidney started crying." She explained.

"We are in this together, so never say sorry." He said as he walked over and picked up Sidney. "Tell daddy what's wrong Sid." He said to the little baby.

"She shouldn't be hungry they just ate an hour ago." Rory said from across the room. "Change her dipper a half hour ago."

"Are you just fussy?" He asked the baby. "Let's see if we can fix that." He said as he rocked her as he walked, but she kept crying. He thought back to when his mother used to watch the neighbors baby and he came up with an idea. "The moment I wake up…" He started to sing it almost automatically soothed the babies.

"I say a little prayer for you…" Rory added in as she walked over next to him. Once they had the babies back in their cribs sound asleep, Rory just cuddled up next to him in bed. "We can do this." She said as she looked at him.

"Why did you ever even doubt it?" He asked her.

"Because were nineteen with twins." She said before she fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

The first four months after bringing the girls home felt more like days, but for the first time in a long time things were working out. Jess found himself cleaning up the diner with the girls in their swings in the middle of the room. Rory was working late at the inn and Luke had already left for home. He heard the door open and said "We are closed." As he turned around.

"Even for family." Chris said as he walked in.

"No, come on in, but if you want more than coffee you are shit out of luck." Jess said as he walked back to the counter.

"Coffee is fine." Chris said as he sat down at the end of the counter. "They are sure getting big." He said as he looked at the girls.

"Yeah, so does Rory know you are in town?" Jess asked as he placed a cup of coffee in front of his soon to be father-in-law.

"No, I wanted it to be a surprise." He replied. "You're a good father. I never was." Chris said as he watched Jess watch the girls. "When Lore told me I was scared shitless, I couldn't think straight." He said softly.

"Trust me I understand the feeling." Jess mumbled as he thought back to the night he found out.

_ Rory and him were sitting in her living room studying. Lorelai was working late. It was just them and the array of Indian food that Rory ordered. He could tell something was wrong all night, but just thought it was the stress of graduation getting to her. "Jess…we need to talk." She said as she pushed her books away from her. _

_ "What's going on Rory?" He asked as he looked at her. _

_ "It's nothing. Forget it." She said as she looked back at her book before getting up and running to the bathroom. _

_ "Ror what's wrong?" He asked her as he stood in the doorway and watched her puke her guts up. _

_ "Indian food isn't agreeing with me." She said as she got up. "You should go home. I will call you later." She said before she shut the bathroom door on him. _

_ "I am holding you to that Gilmore." He said before he left. He walked home and just sat on his bed reading for a long time before he heard Lorelai busting in downstairs. _

_ "WHERE THE HELL IS HE LUKE!" She yelled. "JESS GET YOUR PUNK ASS DOWN HERE!" He just walked down the stairs to the firing squad unaware of what he did this time. _

_ "Lorelai you are making a scene." Luke said as he looked around the diner at the handful of customers that were finishing up their dinner. _

_ "I DON'T CARE! YOUR NEPHEW HAS RUINED MY DAUGHTER'S LIFE!" She screamed. _

_ "I don't know what the hell you are talking about." Jess said as he crossed his arms and stared at her. _

_ "I AM TAKING ABOUT THIS YOU DAMN FUCK! LOOK AT WHAT I HAD TO COME HOME TO!" She said as she threw something at him. He just caught it in his hands. When he looked at it was when his life changed forever. The pink lines staring him in the eyes terrified him. _

_ "That isn't…" Luke said as he looked at Jess who had turned as white as a ghost in the process of looking at the stick in his hand. "Damnit Jess!" Luke yelled before Jess left the diner. He walked until he reached the bridge that's when he saw her in a mess of tears. _

_ "I thought you were going to call." He said as he sat down next to her. _

_ "Yeah well I got held up." She said through her tears._

_ "Yeah I figured." He said as he held up the stick. "Your mother busted into the diner and threw it at me." He said as he sat it down next to them. "You know you could have just told me." He said as he wrapped his arms around her. _

_ "I just…I don't want to ruin your life, but I want you here for me... I mean neither of us have the world's best father." She said through her tears. _

_ "So what's going to make me any different?" Jess finished for her. _

_ "Sorry." She said. _

_ "Rory listen to me. I love you and I am going to love this baby. I will not leave you. I swear on my life." He said as he looked at her. "It's not going to be the same." There on that bridge he made a promise to himself and God that he was never going to hurt them. They were…are his whole life… his reason for existing. _

"I went out that night and got so shitfaced that I had trouble remembering what happened when I found out." Chris said as he looked down at his coffee. "I was worried about what was going to happen to me. What I wouldn't be able to do."

"I never gave myself a chance to think that way." Jess said as he thought back to the day after he found out.

_ He didn't sleep at all that night. He sat on the bridge until he walked Rory home and then sat up in bed the rest of the night. "You freaking out aren't you?" Luke asked as he walked by him at six in the morning. _

_ "More than you could ever imagine." Jess replied as he got up. "How am I supposed to support a baby? How can I prove to Rory I am not like my father…or hers?" _

_ "You will figure it out." He said as he looked at his nephew. After his talk with Luke he found himself at the local bookstore. He picked up seven different books of pregnancy and infancy. The guy at the checkout just gave him a funny look. "Mind your own business." Jess said as he dropped the money on the table. _

_ "Ah Jess just the man I was looking for." Kirk said as he walked up to Jess with a tool box. "I heard you were going to be in the market for engagement ring." _

_ "Where did you hear this from?" Jess asked him. _

_ "Patty is telling everyone that you got Rory pregnant." Kirk replied. Jess took a moment to think about it. _

_ "Okay show me what you got." Jess said as he looked at Kirk. _

_ "Let's move this into the diner." Kirk said as Taylor came out of Doose's. Jess just nodded. An hour later he had a ring box in his pocket and a bag full of baby books in his hand as he walked to the Gilmore's. Rory answered the door and let him in. _

_ "Oh look whose here." Lorelai said as she got off the sofa. _

_ "Mom just go upstairs for a minute." Rory said as she looked at her mother. _

_ "Fine, it's not like he can get you pregnant." Lorelai said bitterly before walking up stairs. _

_ "So, what's in the bag?" Rory asked as she sat down on the sofa. _

_ "Oh some new reading material." He answered as he pulled out a few books and handed them to her. _

_ "What to Expect When You're Expecting and Parenting Guide for First Time Parents." Rory read off the titles. _

_ "I got everyone that I thought might be useful." He said as he looked at her. _

_ "That's nice." She said as she looked at him. He looked up to see Lorelai's head sticking out from around the corner. _

_ "I just don't want this kid to end up like Kirk. You know that has to be from bad parenting." Jess said awkwardly as he held the ring box in his pocket. "I meant every word I said last night. I am going to be the best father to this baby and the best …" He froze in his words for a moment as he got up and dropped to one knee in front of her. "The best husband that I can be if you allow me to be." I said as he looked at her. _

_ "Wait… pause for a second!" Lorelai yelled before she turned on music. The timeless Sonny & Cher hit "I Got You Babe" came on. Rory just laughed as Jess looked down. _

_ "Kinda ruining the moment here!" He called up the stairs. _

_ "Just trying to make it special!" Lorelai called back to him. _

_ "Rory will you marry me?" He asked as he placed the box in her hand. She didn't even open it up. She just smiled at him for a moment before replying. _

_ "Of course Dodger." She whispered before he slipped the ring on her finger. "You know this just might have to be our song now." She said with a laugh before he kissed her. _

_ "Good thing I didn't put on She's Got Balls then." Lorelai said with a laugh as she came bursting down the stairs. _

"So that's where you got Sonny from." Chris said in response to the story Jess had forgotten he was telling.

"Yeah that is where I came up with that. Rory vetoed Nancy and Jacqueline Elizabeth." He said softly as he looked over at his daughters.

"Nancy?" Chris asked.

"When we first found out they were twins Lorelai started calling them Sid and Nancy. I became attached the names that how I came up with Sidney." Jess replied.

"What about the middle names where did you pull those from?" Chris asked.

"Olivia came from me playing around with Oliver Twist and Ayn is the name of the author of _The Fountain Head._ Those were just little pieces of the early days." Jess said as he looked out the window to see Rory walking up. "We were just talking about you." He said as he met Rory at the door.

"I hope only good things." She said before she kissed him quickly. "It's nice to see you dad." She said as she half hugged her father before walking over to her babies. "How are Mommy's little girls?"

"Rory sit down and relax." Jess said as he looked at her.

"You are so bossy at times. It's a good thing I love you." She said as she sat down a few seats down from Chris. "So you are going to hate me." She said as she looked at her father. "I didn't know that you were going to be in town so mom, grandma, Lane, and I are going dress shopping tomorrow."

"I will just come with you. I will even put some money in on the dress." Chris said as he looked at his daughter.

"Dad you don't have to." Rory said softly.

"But, I want to. I never got to buy you a prom dress." He said with a laugh.

"Please don't bring up prom." Jess said with a weak smile.

"I told you I wasn't going to hold not going to prom over your head." Rory said as she looked at him. "Who wants to go to prom when she is worried about morning sickness?"

"If you need a place to crash we have a cot down here. I don't think you want to be up with the babies every couple hours." Jess replied.

"I am going to get a room at the inn." Chris replied.


End file.
